While the Syracuse defense had a challenge in slowing down an offense it doesn't see often and may not see again for a long time (until perhaps their next game with Georgia Tech), the offense had to provide some relief for its defense.

Syracuse had to fight fire with fire with a strong running game of its own if it was going to keep pace with the vaunted triple-option attack of Georgia Tech.

It never had a chance.

Georgia Tech jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead and made it 35-0 just 2 minutes into the second half.

Any chance Jerome Smith or Prince-Tyson Gulley had of making an impact was taken away by the running game they watched from the sideline as the game quickly got out of hand. Syracuse provided only two first downs with the running game.

Georgia Tech had 22.

The passing game failed to get the engines cranking under Terrel Hunt and Drew Allen as well. They combined to go 13-for-29 for 133 yards and two interceptions.

2. Syracuse poured too much of salt in its own wounds

Syracuse's consistent string of self-inflicted wounds continued in Atlanta. They were especially helpful to the Yellow Jackets in the first half, helping Georgia Tech capture early momentum and never look back.

A first-quarter punt was blocked and a touchdown soon followed for the Jackets.

The offensive line had a frustrating amount of false starts and holds. Defensive end Micah Robinson slapped Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee in the helmet on a third-and-11 pass that fell incomplete.

Overall, Syracuse had nine penalties for 91 yards, a season high. Georgia Tech did not commit a penalty.

Now, that's a little hard to believe that Georgia Tech didn't have one penalty against Syracuse, but it was clear which team on the field was shooting itself in the foot more than the other.

1. Optioned out

Syracuse coach Scott Shafer said during the week that Syracuse had been preparing for Georgia Tech's triple-option attack since the preseason by calling out "Georgia Tech" at select practices all season to get Syracuse familiar with the Yellow Jackets unique offense.

He may regret saying that now because Syracuse didn't look like it had a clue against the triple-option on Saturday.

Dick Blume/The Post-Standard

The Georgia Tech triple-option ran over, around and through the Syracuse defense to the tune of 394 yards. The Yellow Jackets had 22 first down runs and averaged 5.9 yards a carry.

It was an embarrassing effort for a Syracuse defense that prides itself on physical, "hard-nosed" play.

This was compounded by defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough's odd decision to install a 3-4 look for this game. The triple-option gives a defense enough to think about. Bullough taking his defense, ranked 22nd in the nation against the run, into uncharted waters was too risky.

Georgia Tech lured Syracuse into its trap (or Yellow Jackets nest, if you will) and put the dagger in Syracuse's chances to win with a 46-yard touchdown pass over the top early in the second half when the Orange finally started to crowd the line of scrimmage.

It is one thing to know what it coming against a team like Clemson and be unable to stop it due to the talent gap that exists between the two schools.

Georgia Tech doesn't fit that profile. This was a team that was coming off a three-game losing streak and had scored 20, 30 and 10 points in its past three games.

Scott Shafer and Chuck Bullough are going to have a lot to think about in Syracuse's bye week as to why the Yellow Jackets were able to dominate their defense the way they did Saturday.

"I got outcoached today, Shafer said. "Coach Johnson is definitely 1-0 against Coach Shafer. I'm disappointed with myself. I really am. We went into it, I thought we had a good plan. But we got our butts kicked today and that starts with me."

It was over when ...

Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Darren Waller at the start of the third quarter to take a 35-0 lead.

It was the first pass completion of the game for the Yellow Jackets and took away any hope Syracuse was going to be competitive in the second half.

Ironic that a pass play was the one that put this game completely out of hand considering how well Georgia Tech ran the ball in this game.

MVP

I could just give it to the Georgia Tech triple-option itself seeing how several players thrived in it and manhandled the Orange, but we'll give the nod to Georgia Tech QB Vad Lee.

Lee ran the triple-option to perfection with 14 carries for 72 yards and two touchdowns. He threw only three passes, but Lee was 3-for-3 for 88 yards, including the 46-yard TD to Waller.

Brisly Estime had a nice kick return in the fourth quarter. Jarrod West caught a pass for the first time since the Tulane game. Syracuse wide receivers caught six passes in this game as opposed to the four combined in the past two.

Other than that, they are going to want to forget about this game as soon as possible.

That won't be easy with a bye week looming.

Maybe that is the positive that comes out of this. Losing 56-0 will provide a lot of motivation for a team that was manhandled on it's first trip to Atlanta.

The Dark Side

The Orange handed three turnovers to the Yellow Jackets.

Syracuse was 3-for-12 on third down and could muster only 10 first downs the whole game.

John Raymon went down with what appeared to be a pretty serious leg injury. He has to be removed from the field on a stretcher. Raymon did fly home with the team, but the news doesn't look good for him.

You always feel bad when a player's season is derailed by injury, but Raymon has had so much happen to him off the field, you hate to see another chapter of adversity enter
his life.

"Thinking about John Raymon," Shafer said after the game. "He had a tough injury. We're going to find out exactly what it is. We kind of have our suspicions; it's not a good thing obviously. Let's just keep our thoughts and prayers for John and his family in a tough situation."

Terrel Hunt earned the Syracuse starting quarterback job with impressive performances against Wagner and Tulane. Hunt has not done anything to since to prove that he is progressing in the job.

While Hunt saw good pressure from the Yellow Jacket defense, this was his third-straight game under 100 yards passing. He threw another poor interception against the Jackets and badly under threw a wide-open Jeremiah Kobena in the first half as well.

Drew Allen did not look impressive in relief of Hunt in the second half, so it isn't a matter of the Orange having a quarterback controversy.

It isn't all Hunt's fault. It's clear that his weapons at wide receiver are struggling. He was under pressure for a good percentage of his pass attempts.

But he is not showing any signs of progression. He didn't even get a chance to shine on the ground game he did so well at the last two weeks. Hunt has to show that he can make plays when things break down. He has to show he can get the ball into tight windows and anticipate routes better. His arm strength has always been a question, but he found a way around that against Wagner and Tulane. That hasn't been so easy to come by since Syracuse entered ACC play.

Syracuse does not have a quarterback controversy. Drew Allen has done nothing to prove he should be given a second chance as a full-time starter.

Syracuse has right now, plain and simple, a quarterback problem.

Offensive coordinator George McDonald and Tim Lester have a big task ahead in the bye week trying to correct it.

As mentioned above, that can't all be put on Hunt's doorstep. McDonald needs to find a way to spark his offense. Opposing teams have no reason to respect his passing game. Film study will show how often Ashton Broyld has become a target and how easier it has become to limit his yards after the catch (Broyld isn't helping matters by dropping the ball consistently). This game demonstrated what can happen when his running game becomes useless.

Dick Blume/The Post-Standard

It isn't a matter of finding some new tricks up his sleeve. McDonald needs to find his NASCAR offense.

Last season, Doug Marrone and Nathaniel Hackett identified what Syracuse excelled at and rammed it down people's throats. They called it the "NASCAR offense." Hackett basically ran the same 10 plays over and over, but did so because that's what they were most confident in and teams still couldn't stop it in key moments.

You know, kind of like Georgia Tech's triple-option against Syracuse in this game.

Can McDonald find his NASCAR offense?

He better. Syracuse's bowl chances may depend on it.

This, That, and the Other Thing

Syracuse was shut out for the first time since 2007 when Iowa beat the Orange 35-0. It was the largest margin of victory against Syracuse since Miami beat the Orange 59-0 in 2001.

This was Syracuse's first trip to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech. Their previous two matchups were on neutral fields at the Kickoff Classic and Champs Sports Bowl.